Last night, nearly 150,000 people paying more than $2,800,000 gathered at Soldier Field in Chicago to watch Jack Dempsey, the former heavyweight champion take on Gene Tunney the current heavyweight champion, in a boxing match. Tunney dominated the fight in rounds one through six. However, in round seven Dempsey, who was hoping to regain the crown as king of the heavyweights, pounded Tunney into the ground. As stated in the rules of the Illinois State Athletic Commission, a boxer must enter a neutral corner before the referee can begin the 10 second count. Dempsey just stood there and stared at his opponent (Tunney) who was lying helplessly on the floor of the ring. Referee of the match, Dave Barry, order Dempsey to the neutral corner but in the time it took him to finally reach the corner, Tunney had been given precious seconds to regain his strength. Barry was not allowed to begin counting until Dempsey had reached the neutral corner and by the time three seconds had passed, Tunney was well on his way to recovering and Dempsey was just barley in the corner. It took nine seconds on Barry’s count before Tunney finally got up and had Dempsey reached the neutral corner on referee Barry’s orders, he may have won the round and Dempsey would once again reign as king of the heavyweights.
This was not the first meeting of Gene Tunney and Jack Dempsey in a boxing ring. Exactly one year ago on September 23, 1926, Tunney and Dempsey gathered in Philadelphia for a match which crowned Tunney the king of the heavyweights and left Dempsey with nothing. Tunney defeated Dempsey even though Dempsey had been named one of the five “big sport” legends during this decade. This fight took place under the new rule which cost Dempsey the possible crown last night. The rule states that a fallen fighter has 10 seconds to rise after his opponent had moved to the neutral corner. This new rule was not universal yet, but was still put into play during this fight.
The Long Count Fight
September 23, 1927By Anne
Last night, nearly 150,000 people paying more than $2,800,000 gathered at Soldier Field in Chicago to watch Jack Dempsey, the former heavyweight champion take on Gene Tunney the current heavyweight champion, in a boxing match. Tunney dominated the fight in rounds one through six. However, in round seven Dempsey, who was hoping to regain the crown as king of the heavyweights, pounded Tunney into the ground. As stated in the rules of the Illinois State Athletic Commission, a boxer must enter a neutral corner before the referee can begin the 10 second count. Dempsey just stood there and stared at his opponent (Tunney) who was lying helplessly on the floor of the ring. Referee of the match, Dave Barry, order Dempsey to the neutral corner but in the time it took him to finally reach the corner, Tunney had been given precious seconds to regain his strength. Barry was not allowed to begin counting until Dempsey had reached the neutral corner and by the time three seconds had passed, Tunney was well on his way to recovering and Dempsey was just barley in the corner. It took nine seconds on Barry’s count before Tunney finally got up and had Dempsey reached the neutral corner on referee Barry’s orders, he may have won the round and Dempsey would once again reign as king of the heavyweights.
This was not the first meeting of Gene Tunney and Jack Dempsey in a boxing ring. Exactly one year ago on September 23, 1926, Tunney and Dempsey gathered in Philadelphia for a match which crowned Tunney the king of the heavyweights and left Dempsey with nothing. Tunney defeated Dempsey even though Dempsey had been named one of the five “big sport” legends during this decade. This fight took place under the new rule which cost Dempsey the possible crown last night. The rule states that a fallen fighter has 10 seconds to rise after his opponent had moved to the neutral corner. This new rule was not universal yet, but was still put into play during this fight.
Works Cited.
"The House that Ruth Built"
April 19, 1923By Anne
Works Cited